2014 Fantasy Football Busts

Bust: A player who is predicted to have a poor season compared to general expectations. The player might be injury-prone, have a future star behind them in the depth chart, or just won't be able to live up to their hype. From our Fantasy Football Dictionary

Our writers have classified the following players as busts for 2014. We will be updating this list throughout the pre-season.

This unit was extremely good in two important categories last season -- interceptions and sacks. Specifically, they finished second in the league in both. However, there's no way a repeat performance should be expected. Safety Jarius Byrd is now in New Orleans. Cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin are on the mend following offseason hip surgery. Defensiv... Read More

Bowe is on the bubble as a WR2/WR3 pick-up for most fantasy owners; some might even call him a gamble. Bowe can be a quality backup as it all depends upon your league size. Alex Smith and Bowe found some late season chemistry and the former LSU receiver put up some solid games from Weeks 11 to 16. We all know that Bowe has big play potential, yet he appears to be p... Read More

Kenny Britt is in a pivotal year. He's had a lot of off the field issues since entering the league. The early word in OTAs is Britt is beating some fast cornerbacks on deep routes, so he seems to have regained his speed. A focused and injury free Britt might make a splash. There was a time where he was a very popular sleeper and it is possible for him to finally f... Read More

The 29 year-old has seen his production decline over the past three seasons and he could be asked to restructure his deal in order to remain with the team. In 2013, he finished with just 32 catches for 502 yards and six touchdowns. His blocking ability is valued, but that's not going to help fantasy owners.... Read More

Cooper's 2013 season represents a prime example of an overinflated career-year as he filled in for Maclin and finished with 47 catches for 835 yards (52 YPG) and eight touchdowns. Over his previous three seasons, the Florida alum totaled 46 catches with just five total touchdowns. Despite the loss of DJax, the Eagles have too many mouths to feed (McCoy, Maclin, Spr... Read More

DON'T DO IT!: Run away as fast as you can. Although fantasy production out of defenses is difficult to project year-to-year, the Cowboys look to be one of the worst options available. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will have his hands full taking over a defense that struggled mightily in 2013 and now includes voids left from DeMarcus Ware (l... Read More

HIGH VOLUME OR BUST: During the 2013 offseason, Julian Edelman had a hard time getting a new contract. He eventually signed a one year with the Patriots and wasn't even assured at cracking the final roster. He did crack the final roster and had an unbelievable season, playing in all 16 games for the first time in his career and setting career- high... Read More

As expected, Ryan Fitzpatrick has won the starting job in Houston. New head coach Bill O'Brien says that Fitzpatrick has everything he looks for in a quarterback, which includes intelligence, accuracy, and leadership skills. In the fantasy world, we have seen Ryan Fitzpatrick He has occasionally put up big numbers like the ones that earned him a big contract in Buf... Read More

With Dwayne Allen's early season injury in 2013, Coby Fleener was given a tremendous opportunity to have a breakout year. Fleener was mediocre at best, as he didn't scare any defenses and certainly didn't breakout (even though he was Luck's most familiar weapon dating back to their days at Stanford). The majority of his targets were on short routes right off the ... Read More

Antonio Gates is over the hill. If you think about him, your knees and ankles hurt on his behalf. At 34 years of age and with Ladarius Green chomping at the bit behind him, Gates should experience a lessened role (although nothing is guaranteed in this game). Gates' production dwindled in the second half of 2013 as the schedule progressed. Despite putting up over 8... Read More

Could Shonn Greene be over the hill at 28? He very well could be. Greene's knee injuries have hampered his offseason progress and he has had two surgeries in nine months on the same knee. With the RB1 role locked up by rookie RB Bishop Sankey, Greene will take a permanent back seat. The former Iowa runner will be a bust, as much of his career would havve indicated.... Read More

Brandon LaFell was brought in from the Carolina Panthers, and like most free agent receivers brought in, it will take time for LaFell to understand New England's complicated schemes (which is why many receivers have trouble in their first year in New England and often don't make it). LaFell has plenty of time to get in sync with Brady, working out of every receiver... Read More

Despite his breakout 2010 season where he set career-highs in all categories -- 58 receptions for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns -- Lewis is a fantasy non-option. Over the three years since, he only has eight total touchdowns. While Lewis is considered the Jagauars' top TE, he is at best a very low-end TE2. Seek out upside elsewhere and don't waste your time with Lewi... Read More

After three miserable seasons in Denver, Moreno was considered a bust due to injuries and poor performances. In 2012, he did exhibit flashes of the talent he showed at the University of Georgia. He followed that up with a monster 2013 season, propelling him back into fantasy relevancy. There are reports out of Dolphins camp that Moreno showed up out of shape, possi... Read More

Since peaking in 2011, Pettigrew has been a bit of a disappointment in fantasy leagues. His numbers have come down (mostly in part due to his struggles catching the ball). Pettigrew is a huge target; however, he is not heavily utilized in the red zone. First round pick Eric Ebron is likely to get the bulk of the targets in the passing game, which leaves Pettigrew t... Read More

Stacy opened up 2013 buried on the depth chart. When Stacy got his chance, he played very well. He proved to be fairly durable and kept drives moving for St. Louis. He eclipsed 100 rushing yards in a game four times and also scored seven TDs from Weeks 9 to 16. The Rams drafted a rookie in Tre Mason; some think can challenge Stacy for the starting job. Given Stacy'... Read More

After missing just about all of 2013 due to a toe injury, Jonathan Stewart is reportedly the healthiest he has been since 2011. He must now prove he can stay healthy over a 16-game season. Stewart has been the "two" in a one-two punch combination with DeAngelo Willliams. The backfield is a little more crowded now though. Even if healthy, his rushing yards... Read More

The Patriots drafted two receivers in the 2013 NFL Draft, but it was undrafted rookie Kenbrell Thompkins who made the fast first impression. Thompkins started out the season real hot, but cooled quickly, even missing the last four games due to injury. Thompkins finished the season with 32 receptions for 466 yards and four touchdowns. He will be battling one of thos... Read More

Like Bryce Brown, the Bills acquired Williams knowing that he is a player with some red flags, but also a player who could pay considerable dividends if they can get him to play up to his potential. Williams has had a peaks-and-valleys career since catching 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 2010 with the Buccaneers. Last season was his rockiest yet as he was put on inju... Read More